Kwame Alexander's The Crossover is brought to life as a graphic novel with illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile.

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. ’Cuz tonight I’m delivering," raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood—he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it’s all on the line.

This book blew me away. The rhythm of the writing was amazing. I loved the emotion of the writing as well as the art in this book. It is a heartbreaking book, but I loved every minute of it. ( )

Just as heartbreaking and hard-hitting as the original. Not sure if it's harder to read or easier, for being in a handwritten font. ( )

I probably would not have liked this if it weren’t in graphic novel form. I found many of the verses corny, but the majority rhymed, so I liked that. I also like the relationship between JB and Josh though it does feel a bit co-dependent on Josh’s part. Still, I understand feeling jealous when it feels like the rug has been pulled from under you.

The business with their dad was super relatable. A lot of my older family members have struggled with high blood pressure. My family’s African-American, so you know soul food can be a big part of the culture. I completely get the difficulty of trying to change eating habits and get their dad to go to the doctor. I thought when the dad went into a coma was pretty dramatic and then he dies, but you know...

I guess ball is life and their mom wanted to take their mind off things, but, screw a middle-school basketball game. If my dad is dying, I want to see his last moments.

3.5 ( )